[RWD version 1 ] From our base in Melbourne we headed east to this lovely picturesque area of Lake Eildon (pronounced Eeldon). In Australian terms it was only a short trip of 150 kms. We wanted to get some bush "walkabout" under our belt. In this particular area it is difficult to find an acceptable circular bush track that is a also a reasonable distance. Leaving a track to take a shortcut here has its risks! So, once you start, you stick to the planned route. The undergrowth is rough, tough and most inhospitable. Off road here is taken very seriously. Vehicles have CB radios, double spare tyres, huge car jacks, shovels and all manner of other survival equipment. You are even expected to have done a special Off Road course.
We got a lift from our lodgings in Eildon for 4.7km south east past the Eildon Golf Club. From the time you leave the tarmac road it is straight onto dirt track. About a kilometre in we were confronted with a sign on an open gate informing us that this land was private! It was used by an outdoor pursuits organisation. It would have been better if they had a sign at the start of the track before getting this far. We decided to brazen it out and marched on. After about another kilometre we saw a pile of equipment and rucksacks and heard voices in the woods. Through the gum trees we could just see some huge climbing frames where they were nearly all gathered. We passed a couple of participants on the track who must have assumed we were part of the group and paid us no attention.
Soon the voices dropped away and the track got more extreme. There were obvious signs that 4x4s had used it not too long ago. As we made our way further on up to the higher section, I marvelled at the ability and daring of the drivers who managed to push their vehicles up some of the spectacularly steep tricky climbs.
The wind on the exposed ridges was cool but became balmy once in the lee of the mountain. There was smoke visible from numerous controlled burning sites which help reduce the risk of uncontained flareups. Nearby on the final stretch is Mt. Pinninger, so good that they named it twice by putting the same name on two peeks at either end of a ridge! All along the track there were several varieties of eucalyptus trees. The different tree barks look spectacular in the sunshine as they stretch to the sky. The Paperbark Gum is a very strange tree with soft tissue like pages unwinding from the trunk. The track leads back down to a country road. Follow this road back north past Lake Eildon Dam. This whole area was flooded like Blessington Lakes to provide an hydroelectric energy supply. It is then a short walk back alonside the lower lake back to the start.